She was born April 13, 1917 in Leesville to Burley and May Douglas. Ruth went to Bedford High School and graduated from Indiana University with a degree in education and later earned her Master's degree. History and geography were lifelong interests for her. She taught these and other subjects in schools in Leesville, in Bedford and in occupied Japan after her first marriage. Subsequently, she taught in Nashville, TN, in Franklin and Fort Wayne, retiring in 1980. She returned to Bedford two years later along with her mother to take care of her until her death in 1989 and in 2001 she married John Hill. Noteworthy perhaps were the places she visited and the persons she encountered.

In 1949 she drove America's twisty two- lane roads across county to Seattle, WA, with her 4-year-old son to sail to Japan to be with her first husband. 43 years later in 1992 she drove across county with her parrot to be with her son's family in California. In between the years she traveled alone and with friends and family all over America and Canada. She took the mule train down into the Grand Canyon by herself. She took her grandchildren on a cruise to Alaska and took them on the roller coaster at Strawberry when she was 76 years old. With her son's family she camped out in the Montana Rockies where she found a campfire and a martini were the end of a perfect day. She went to the opera at the Kennedy Center. She was invited to the Indianapolis 500 by Governor and Mrs. Regan and talked with them. Hers is an eclectic erudite adventurous spirit, not gone but continuing along God's new path.

Survivors include her son Frank Lewis and his wife Linda, of Vienna, VA; granddaughter, Kelly Karll and her husband Mike, of Canton, MI; grandsons Benjamin Lewis and Allen Lewis, of Miami, FL.; her great-grandsons Nathan Kelly and Hunter Karll, of Canton, MI and by her sister-in-law Lois Douglas, of Bedford. Peggy Hensel provided loving care over the last years for both Ruth and her brother Robert Douglas who preceded her in death.

She was a life time member of the professional women's organization P.E.O. Ruth was baptized in the First Christian Church of Bedford and she attended her last service there in August 2012. Service and burial will be held in private.

Services are under the direction of Ferguson-Lee Funeral home in Bedford.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.fergusonlee.com.

1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com